Warehouse system and a method for temporary storage of articles

ABSTRACT

A warehouse system comprising several storage racks each comprising a number of compartments arranged above each other and beside each other, and a unit which is movable along said compartments and which comprises a mechanism which is capable of moving a container from the unit into a compartment and from a compartment onto the unit. The unit can be moved over the storage racks from a space located between two storage racks to another space located between two storage racks. A conveyor is provided, which conveyor is positioned beside the unit in the uppermost position of said unit and which can be moved over the storage racks together with the unit.

The invention relates to a warehouse system comprising several storageracks each comprising a number of compartments arranged above each otherand beside each other, and a unit which is movable along saidcompartments and which comprises a mechanism which is capable of movinga container from the unit into a compartment and from a compartment ontothe unit, which unit can be moved over the storage racks from a spacelocated between two storage racks to another space located between twostorage racks, wherein a conveyor is provided, which conveyor ispositioned beside the unit in the uppermost position of said unit andwhich can be moved over the storage racks together with the unit. Theconveyor may be a belt conveyor, for example, or a conveyor consistingof driven rollers.

Such a warehouse system is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,442. The unitis within relatively close range of the conveyor at all times, and theunit is positioned beside the conveyor when the unit is being moved overthe storage racks, so that containers can be exchanged between theconveyor and the unit during said movement. U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,749,shows a warehouse system in which the unit is suspended by means ofcables from a frame which can be moved over the storage racks.

When the frame is present at a space located between two storage racks,the unit can be moved down in said space for removing containers fromcompartments or placing containers into the compartments. Severalcontainers can be moved simultaneously from containers arranged besideeach other. A conveyor is present in one or more storage racks forsupplying and discharging the containers, so that the unit can move tospecified places for delivering containers to the conveyor or receivingcontainers from the conveyor.

Such a warehouse system may be used for the temporary storage ofarticles which subsequently leave the warehouse in the form of shipmentswhose composition may vary with each new shipment. Every compartment ofthe warehouse can accommodate a container which has been placed thereinby the mechanism that is present on the movable unit. A container canaccommodate several containers arranged one behind another, for example,in which situation the mechanism is capable of removing the desiredcontainer from the compartment.

A container will contain a number of identical articles, for example,and the movable unit will remove a number of containers from thecompartments so as to compose a shipment. Said containers aresubsequently taken to an order compiling location, wherein an ordercompiler removes articles from the various containers and places theminto a shipment box. Containers which are not needed by the ordercompiler (any more) are returned to the compartments by the unit. Eachindividual container can be placed in a random compartment, whilst acontrol unit registers what container is present at what location.Containers which are frequently needed by the order compiler can beplaced in a compartment which is located “closer” to the order compilinglocation.

Especially in the case of a warehouse for articles which only need to bestored for a short period of time, speed and flexibility are essentialwhen compiling orders. In addition, a compact construction of the racksin the warehouses important, also in order to reduce the amount of timerequired for the various movements.

The object of the invention is to provide an efficient warehouse systemwhich enables a quick and effective compilation of orders having acomplex composition.

According to the invention, conveying means extending along the storageracks at the level of the conveyor are present, to which conveying meansthe conveyor can deliver containers or from which the conveyor canreceive containers. Hereby the the containers to be stored in thewarehouse system can be supplied to, and discharged from, the conveyorin a very efficient manner.

Preferably, the unit is vertically movable in a frame, which frame canbe moved in horizontal direction, and the conveyor is likewise arrangedin said frame. The frame can be moved with respect to the storage rackstogether with the unit and the conveyor in that case, so that the unitcan move downwards in various spaces between the storage racks so as toreach the compartments in the storage racks.

In one preferred embodiment, the frame comprises one element whichextends above the storage racks and two downwardly extending elements oneither side of the racks, which elements guide the unit during itsvertical movement in the space between the racks. The downwardlyextending elements of the frame can also form the frame supports, forexample in the situation in which the frame traverses the floor on whichthe storage racks are present on wheels. This will be explained in moredetail by means of an embodiment.

In one preferred embodiment, two conveyors are present, which conveyorsare positioned on either side of the unit in the uppermost position ofsaid unit. In that situation, containers can be supplied to the unit viaone conveyor after the unit has delivered containers to be discharged tothe other conveyor.

The invention furthermore relates to a frame which is movable withrespect to warehouse racks which each comprise a number of compartmentsarranged above and beside each other, which frame comprises a unit whichis movable with respect to the frame, said unit comprising a mechanismwhich is capable of moving a container from the unit into a compartmentand from a compartment onto the unit, wherein the frame comprises aconveyor onto which the unit can place containers in the uppermostposition of the unit, and wherein the conveyor is arranged to delivercontainers to conveying means extending along the storage racks at thelevel of the conveyor.

The invention furthermore relates to a method for temporary storage ofarticles, in which containers with the articles present therein areplaced in a number of warehouse rack compartments arranged above andbeside each other, in which a mechanism, which is present on a unitwhich is movable along said compartments, places a container from acompartment onto the unit, whereupon the unit is moved to its uppermostposition, in which position the container is placed onto a conveyor,after which the conveyor and the unit are moved in substantiallyhorizontal direction over the storage rack to another warehouse rack,and wherein the container is delivered by the conveyor to conveyingmeans extending along the racks at the level of the conveyor.

The invention will now be explained in more detail by means of anembodiment of a warehouse system, in which reference is made to thedrawing.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a warehouse system;

FIG. 2 shows a frame comprising conveying means; and

FIG. 3 shows the warehouse system of FIG. 1 in top plan view.

The figures are merely diagrammatic representations of an embodiment, inwhich the components are shown in simplified form and from which lessrelevant parts have been left out for the sake of clarity.

FIG. 1 shows nine storage racks 11-19 comprising compartments 2, thatis, places where containers may be present, which compartments arearranged above and beside each other. Each storage rack 11-19 comprises132 compartments, arranged in 12 horizontal rows of 11 compartmentsarranged one above another. The storage racks 11-18 are arranged inpairs, with their rear sides abutting against each other, so that spaces3, 4, 5, 6 are present between the storage racks. From said spaces 3-6,the compartments 2 of the storage racks 12-19 can be reached for placingcontainers 9 (not shown in FIG. 1) into the compartments 2 or removingcontainers from the compartments 2.

The containers 9 are placed into the compartments 2, or removed from thecompartments 2, by a unit 7 which is movable in vertical direction inthe spaces 3-6, its movement being guided in a frame 8. The unit 7 isfitted with mechanisms which are known per se for moving containers 9into or out of compartments 2 when the unit 7 is present at the level ofsaid compartments 2. The mechanisms, which are not shown in the figures,can move several containers 9 into or out of compartments 2 at the sametime, and that on either side of the spaces 3-6.

The frame 8, which is shown in perspective view in FIG. 2, has anelement 21 extending above the storage racks 11-19 which comprises twoconveyors 22, 23, on which containers 9 can be transported by means ofdriven rollers forming the conveyors 22, 23. In the uppermost positionof the unit 7 as shown in FIG. 2, said mechanisms can move containers 9from the unit 7 onto the conveyor 23 or from the conveyor 22 onto theunit.

The frame 8 furthermore has two downwardly extending elements 24, viawhich the frame 8 can traverse the floor on wheels (not shown). Eachelement 24 consists of two vertical beams 25, which are interconnectedby cross beams 26. Fixed to the cross beams 26 is a guide beam 27 onwhich the unit 7 is mounted, which guide beam guides the unit 7 duringthe vertical movement thereof.

In the uppermost position of the unit 7 as shown in FIG. 2, the frame 8can be moved in the direction indicated by the arrow 28. This enablesthe unit 7 to move downwards in each space 3-6 when the frame ispositioned at the space in question (space 6 in FIG. 1).

Furthermore, conveying means are present in the form of two conveyors31, 32 comprising driven rollers, which can supply and dischargecontainers 9. The conveyors 31, 32 are positioned at the level of theconveyors 22, 23. As is shown in FIG. 2, the conveyor 22 connects to theconveyor 32, and the conveyor 23 connects to the conveyor 31.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the warehouse system according to FIG. 1,in which the unit 7 is positioned above the space 5. FIG. 3 shows thecontainers 9 that are present in the uppermost compartments 2 of theracks 11,12,13,14,15,19.

The figure furthermore shows a row of containers 9 being moved from theconveyor 22 onto the unit 7, as well as a number of containers presenton the conveyor 23, which are being moved to the conveyor 31.

The conveyor 32 supplies containers 9 to be stored in the warehousesystem in the direction that is indicated by the arrow 35. Thecontainers 9 being supplied are guided from the conveyor 32 onto theconveyor 22, after which they are received on the unit 7, as is shown inFIG. 3. Following that, the containers 9 can be placed into compartments2 of the storage racks by the unit 7.

Containers 9 to be discharged from the warehouse system are removed fromthe compartments 2 in question and placed onto the conveyor 23 by theunit 7, after which they are placed one by one onto the conveyor 31 soas to be discharged in the direction indicated by the arrow 36, as isshown in FIG. 3.

As already said before, only those elements that are relevant inconnection with the explanation of the invention are shown in thefigures for the sake of clarity. Thus, the various control means, forexample for steering the containers 9 over the various conveyors 22, 23,31, 32, are not shown. Such control means are known per se in variousembodiments thereof, however. Said control means arrange the transfer ofthe containers 9 from the conveyors 23 and 32 to the conveyors 31 and22, respectively, also while the conveyors are moving over the storageracks.

1-9. (canceled)
 10. A warehouse system comprising several storage rackseach comprising a number of compartments arranged above each other andbeside each other, and a unit which is movable along said compartmentsand which comprises a mechanism which is capable of moving a containerfrom the unit into a compartment and from a compartment onto the unit,which unit can be moved over the storage racks from a space locatedbetween two storage racks to another space located between two storageracks, a conveyor positioned beside the unit in the uppermost positionof said unit and which can be moved over the storage racks together withthe unit, and conveying means extending along the storage racks at thelevel of the conveyor, to which conveying means the conveyor can delivercontainers.
 11. The warehouse system according to claim 10, wherein theunit is vertically movable in a frame which can be moved in horizontaldirection, wherein the conveyor is likewise arranged in said frame. 12.The warehouse system according to claim 11, wherein the frame comprisesone element which extends above the storage racks and two downwardlyextending elements on either side of the racks, which elements guide theunit during its vertical movement in the space between the racks. 13.The warehouse system according to claim 10, wherein two conveyors arepresent, which conveyors are positioned on either side of the unit inthe uppermost position of said unit.
 14. The warehouse system accordingto claim 11, wherein two conveyors are present, which conveyors arepositioned on either side of the unit in the uppermost position of saidunit.
 15. The warehouse system according to claim 12, wherein twoconveyors are present, which conveyors are positioned on either side ofthe unit in the uppermost position of said unit.
 16. A frame which ismovable with respect to warehouse racks, wherein each rack comprises anumber of compartments arranged above and beside each other, which framecomprises a unit which is movable with respect to the frame, said unitcomprising a mechanism which is capable of moving a container from theunit into a compartment and from a compartment onto the unit, whereinthe frame comprises a conveyor onto which the unit can place containersin the uppermost position of the unit, and wherein the conveyor isarranged to deliver containers to conveying means extending along thestorage racks at the level of the conveyor.
 17. The frame according toclaim 16, wherein two conveyors are present, which conveyors arepositioned on either side of the unit in the uppermost position of saidunit.
 18. A method for temporary storage of articles, in whichcontainers with the articles present therein are placed in a number ofwarehouse rack compartments arranged above and beside each other, inwhich a mechanism, which is present on a unit which is movable alongsaid compartments, places a container from a compartment onto the unit,whereupon the unit is moved to its uppermost position, in which positionthe container is placed onto a conveyor, after which the conveyor andthe unit are moved in substantially horizontal direction over thestorage rack to another warehouse rack, wherein the container isdelivered by the conveyor to conveying means extending along the racksat the level of the conveyor.